SEATTLE — Unlike last season, UConn won’t be perfect heading into the start of Big East play.
What the Huskies accomplished in nonconference play this season might be more impressive.
Donovan Clingan scored 21 points, Cam Spencer had 15 and No. 5 UConn ran away in the second half again, beating No. 10 Gonzaga 76-63 on Friday night.
The final nonconference game of the regular season for the defending national champs was another example of why the Huskies (10-1) could repeat, thumping the Bulldogs in a similar fashion to last season’s Elite Eight.
UConn will head into the Big East with wins over North Carolina, Indiana, Texas and Gonzaga.
“We’ve played the top teams in the country, so playing those teams and now going and playing in the best league in the country I feel like it’s given us good momentum,” Clingan said.
Clingan controlled the middle. Spencer hit some key 3-pointers during UConn’s big first half, and the Huskies built an 18-point lead in the second half and withstood every run by the Zags.
Clingan hit 8 of 11 shots and grabbed eight rebounds. Alex Karaban added 11 points for UConn, and Tristen Newton and Hassan Diarra both finished with nine.
“The difference between last year’s team and this year’s team is that defensive intensity, that identity to be able to win a game by getting stops,” UConn coach Dan Hurley said. “We shot the cover off the ball in the first half and then the second half we didn’t make a three. So we won it with defense.”
Anton Watson led Gonzaga (8-3) with 20 points. Ryan Nembhard added 15, but the rest of Gonzaga’s supporting cast struggled. Leading scorer Graham Ike finished with five points after averaging 14.2 points through the first 10 games. Key bench contributor Braden Huff, averaging 11.7 points, made just one free throw.
Gonzaga was 2-of-12 on 3-pointers.
“They felt like they competed physically,” Gonzaga coach Mark Few said. “We just got to be able to step up and make shots in games like this and you need ‘A’ games out of your best guys.”
The Huskies beat Gonzaga 82-54 in the regional final in Las Vegas in March on their way to their championship and looked just as impressive this time around. UConn shot 63% in the first half and led by 11 at the break, then outscored Gonzaga 11-4 to start the second half to take a 56-38 lead.
Two free throws from Nolan Hickman with 4:04 left got Gonzaga to 68-58, but a dunk from Clingan and a layup off a turnover from Diarra gave the Huskies a 72-58 lead with 3:26 left and sent Gonzaga fans for the exits.
Gonzaga lost for the second time in three games — both in Seattle and both to teams nicknamed the Huskies. Gonzaga lost 78-73 at Washington last Saturday.
